A light blue background with a large yellow arrow pointing to the right, going against several small white arrows pointing to the left

Read time: 2 mins

A Voice in the Wilderness: Constructive Foresight or Performative Contrarianism?

The world needs boat rockers, those willing to challenge the status quo and push for change. However, it is not enough to

A person in a suit holds their hands over a row of domino blocks. Some dominoes on the left are falling, but a red domino in the middle stops the chain reaction, leaving the dominoes on the right standing.

Read time: 2 mins

Avoiding Verschlimmbesserung

Verschlimmbesserung literally translates from German as ‘worsening improvement’ and speaks to trying to improve a situation but ending up making it worse.

3 road signs set against a blue background. A red sign that says "stop" in the foreground, a yellow sign that says "think" just behind it, and a green sign that says "act" just behind it.

Read time: 2 mins

Chesterton’s Fence

Chesterton’s Fence refers to a decision principle: “Before removing an existing rule, structure, or practice, you must first understand why it was

Vector cartoon illustration of many roads leading in different directions, along which people go—one path leading to a goal with a final golden mark.

Read time: 2 mins

Sliding v. Deciding

Are you paying attention to your life? The difference between sliding v. deciding is usually awareness. Sliding is like being on a

A woman standing in front of a large, well-lit mirror, likely in a dressing room or backstage area. The mirror is framed with bright round vanity lights. She is holding a plain white mask up to her face, covering her nose and mouth, while looking at her reflection.

Read time: 2 mins

The Presentation of Self in Everyday Life

The Presentation of Self in Everyday Life is the title of a 1956 seminal work by sociologist Erving Goffman. His thesis was

Silhouette of bird flying and broken chains at beautiful mountain and sky autumn sunset background

Read time: 2 mins

Mind-forg’d Manacles

The phrase ‘mind-forg’d manacles’ comes from the poem ‘London’ by romantic author William Blake, written in 1794. Over 200 years ago, Blake

The image is a flat, vector-style illustration with a soft purple background. In the center, a man in a dark purple suit stands in a thoughtful pose, with one hand on his chin and the other on his hip. Above his head are three interlocking gears, symbolizing thinking or problem-solving. Curved white arrows point from a large question mark on the left toward the gears, and from the gears toward a bright yellow light bulb on the right.

Read time: 2 mins

Sensemaking

We live in an ever more complex, chaotic world where the pace of change seems to be accelerating daily. How to make

Hand drawing Preparation Luck Opportunity diagram concept with marker on transparent wipe board. Luck is where preparation meets opportunity.

Read time: 2 mins

Swimming in a Sea of Serendipity

It has been said that luck lies in the intersection of preparation (hard, smart work) and opportunity (Seneca, 4 BC-65 AD). While

A yellow background with a woman pointing to the white halo she is wearing on her head

Read time: 2 mins

The Halo Trap: Even Smart People Get Snared

Halo Effect occurs when we equate proficiency in one area with competence in another. Another name for the phenomena is Generalization Bias;

Conceptual image of crumpled paper balls as steps leading to a light bulb, symbolizing failure as part of the creative or problem-solving journey toward success

Read time: < 1 min

Quiet Failures Sink Strong Teams

To be a ‘smart organization’, for a company to fully utilize the expertise and front-line knowledge of all, speaking up must be

A hand holding up a sticky note that says "every failure is a step to success" against a blurred colorful background

Read time: 2 mins

Are You Willing to Invest in Loss?

Transparency and Ownership are keys to any organization learning and thriving. In spite of any and all efforts to develop a culture

A woman is seated at a desk in front of an open laptop. She has her eyes closed and her hands raised slightly to either side, palms up, as if pausing, centering herself, or tuning out distractions. Two men in business attire stand on either side of her. Both appear to be talking or gesturing toward her—one holding papers and gesturing with his hand, the other leaning in slightly while also holding documents.

Read time: 2 mins

How is Your Pocket Presence?

In football, pocket presence refers to a quarterback’s ability to maintain composure while standing in the pocket created by the offensive front